Machine for use in bleaching, dyeing, &amp;c., fabrics.



w. l. LEWIS. MCHINE FOR USE IN BLEACHING, DYEING, Gac., FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I6, I9I4.

Patented Deo. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Il nvenon Q/Imumg @FW Orney COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co..wAsHlNuToN, D, c.

W. I. LEWIS.

MACHINE FOR USE IN BLEACHING, DYEING, 6m., FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I6. I9I4.

Patented Deo. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- j?? vena?.-

wmwr 9 COLUMBIA PLANcGR/mu co.. WASHINGTON, u. c.

W. Il LEWIS.

MACHINE Foa usf IN LEAcHmG, DYEING, au., mames.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I6, 1914. 191669063, v Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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'UNTED @TATE .FATENT FFfQE,

WILLARD I. LEWIS, OF WALIOLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 FRANK A. SAYLES,

l OF PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND.

MACHINE FOR USE IN BLEAC'HING, DYEING, &c., FABRICS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

Application filed April 16, 1914. Serial No. 832,205.

4dassachusetts, have invented a certain new and usefulimprovement in ll/lachines for Use in Bleaching, Dyeing, &c., Fabrics, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

ril`he invention relates to machines of the class commonly called jiggers, used in bleaching, dyeing, scouring, souring, and otherwise treating open fabrics with liquids. machine of this class comprises a tank or vat which holds the liquid employed for producing the required effect upon the fabric under treatment, two batch rollers, and means for rotating the respective batch-rollers alternately to draw the fabric back and forthl through the liquid. ln the use of a machine of the said class as heretofore constructed, one of the said batch-rollers being loaded with a supply of fabric wound thereon (such supply constituting the parent roll) and the other being empty, and the leading portion of the fabric being extended around guides immersed in the liquid and engaged with the empty batch-roller, the driving connections are caused to rotate the latter (or receiving) batch-roller to wind the fabric upon it, thereby drawing the fabric through the liquid and from the parent roll or filled batch-roller until all the fabric has been unwound from the latter batch-roller. Then, through a shift of the driving connections the former parent batch-roller is driven so as to become the receiving roller and draw the fabric in the opposite direction through the liquid and rewind it upon such batchroller until the former receiving batch-roll, now carrying the parent roll, has become emptied. The batch-rollers are in this manner rotated alternately to wind the fabric back and forth through the liquid a number of times, until the desired effect upon the fabric has been secured. y

The invention consists in a novel driving and presser-roll arrangement, the essential elements thereof comprising a combined driving and presser-roll and a reversible mounting therefor, whereby by pressure of the said combined driving and presser-roll in either of its opposite positions upon the fabric travel of the fabric in the corresponding direction is produced, and for travel of the fabric in the reverse direction the position of the mounting and combined driving and presser-roll is reversed.

rThe invention provides also a novel reversibly-acting friction-drive arrangement for rotating the batch-rollers alternately to effect the winding of the fabric back and forth from one to the other thereof.

The invention combines also a squeeze-roll arrangement, with the foregoing elements and features.

Embodiments of the features of the invention are illustrated in the drawings, in which latter,-

Figure l is a view of a jigger constructed with the said embodiments, in elevation with the exception of the vat, which is in vertical cross-section. Fig. :2 is an elevation of the machine looking at the driving end thereof. Fig. 3 is a view thereof partly in longitudinal vertical section.

Having reference to the drawings, and first to Fig. l, at l is the tank or vat of a so-called jigger, and 2, 8, are the two batchrollers. At 4 is the fabric operated upon, a batch thereof being carried by the said batch rollers, the greater portion being shown wound upon the receiving batch-roller From the parent roll da upon the batchroller 2 the fabric il: extends down into the interior of the tank or vat, under guide-rolls` 5, 5, that are located below the surface of the liquid contents of the tank or vat so as to cause immersion of the fabric in such contents, and from the said guide-rolls the fabric extends upward to the winding roll. a" upon the said receiving batch-roller 3. l'he presser-roll 6 is rotated through suitable driving connections, and by frictional engagement with the portion of fabric leaving the tank or vat it draws the fabric from the tank or vat. ln addition, its pressure being applied to the exterior of the winding-roll, it rotates the latter and the batch-roller 3 so as to wind up the fabric thereon. To enable the presserroll to operate by pressing against the exterior of the said winding-roll, and accommodate itself to the varying diameter of the latter as the cloth accumulates thereon, the presser-roll is movably mounted. This movable mounting not only permits it to accommodate its position to the diameter of the winding-roll, and the quantity of fabric therein at all stages inthe winding,

but permits it to be shifted out of working relations with batch-roller 3 int-o similar relations with batch-roller 2 when it is desired to draw the fabric reversely from the tank or vat to the batch-roller 2 and wind it upon the latter. The batch-rollers 2, 3, are supported conveniently by means of their journals 2, 3a, resting upon anti-friction wheels 211, 3b, carried by fixed stands 2, BC, upon the machine framework. The guide-rolls 5, 5, are conveniently journaled in' supporting bearings in connection with the tank or vat.

In the present instance, the movable mounting for the presser-roll 6 comprises arms 6, (in, (see also Fig. 2) which are mounted pivotally in connection with the machine-framing, the presser-roll having its journals fitted to bearings 6b, 6b, with which the said arms are provided. The arm (3a shown in Fig. l and at the left in Fig. 3 is mounted upon the outer end of a stud ('30 carried by the machine framing. That shown at the right in Fig. 3 is mounted upon a projecting portion of a bearing Gd carried by the machine-framing at the corresponding end of the machine. As thus mounted, the arms are capable of swinging movement toward either batch-roller. Other modes of movably mounting the presser-roll will be obvious to the skilled mechanic, as will be also various means and contrivances for causing the presser-roll to bear with yielding force upon the fabric at either the one side or the other. The means or contrivance for the latter purpose in the present instance consists of weights arranged to be shifted so as to overbalance the arms in either the one direction or the other, as may be required in the operation. In the drawings the weights are provided upon arms 7, 7, applied to the respective presser-roll supporting arms 6, 6a. The weights are shown at 8, 8. The said arms 7, 7 and their weights 8, 8, are shown at the same side of pivotal mountings 6, 6d, as the batch-roller 3, in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings. Consequently, they are there arranged to bear the presser-roll with yielding force toward the said batch-roller, and thereby the presserroll is made operative by its pressure upon the fabric to draw the latter from the tank or vat, and in addition to rotate the batchroller 3 to Wind up the fabric thereon. By shifting the arms 7, 7, relative to the presserroll supporting arms Ga, 6, so as to locate the weights 8, 8, at the same side of the latter arms as the batch-roller 2, they will bel made effective to bear the presser-roll with yielding force in the direction toward the latter batch-roller, so that the presserroll by its pressure upon the fabric adiacent the batch-roller 2 shall become operative to draw the fabric reversely from the tank or vat and wind it upon batch-roller 2. Thus, whereas the position of the weighted arms 7, 8, as shown is adapted to cause the presserroll to bear against the fabric at the side adjoining batch-roller 3, draw the fabric from the tank or vat, and wind it upon batch-roller 3, a shift or adjustment of the said weighted arms into a position at the opposite side of pivots 6, 6d, will cause the presser-roll to bear against the fabric at the side adjoining batch-roller 2, draw the fabric reversely from the tank or vat, and wind it upon batch-roller 2. By repeated shifts of the said weighted arms, the reversals of the travel of the fabric may be repeated as often as may be found necessary. As one convenient means of reversibly connecting the weighted arms with the presser-roll supporting arms, the upper ends of the latter are shown furnished with upwardly extending pins 6e, GG, and the arms 7, 7, are furnished with socket-pieces or hubs 7` 7a, respectively having upper and lower branches 7 7b, formed with eyes made vertically therethrough to fit the said pins 6e, 6. The pins are made cylindrical to permit the socket-pieces to be turned horizontally around the said pins by the machine-attendant in shifting the weighted arms 7, 8, from their positions in Figs. l and 3 to their opposite positions, and vice versa. To provide against accidental shift of fthe weighted arms after having been placed in either working position, the pins 6e, 6e, respectively, are furnished at their lower ends with opposite feathers Gf, Gf, and corresponding` notches located opposite each other are formed in the wall of the eye through the lower branch of each socket-piece or hub 7a. In each of the proper working positions of the weighted arms, the notches fit over the feathers, and the weighted arms drop until the socket-pieces rest upon the shoulders of the upper ends of the presser-roll supporting arms 6", 6u. The feathers then lock the weighted arms from turning around hori- Zontally, and consequently Vaccidental shift of said arms is impossible. A shift or ad- `iustment from the one working position of the weighted arms to the other can take place only after the weighted arms have been raised relative to pins 6e, 6, far enough to liftthe notched lower branches of the socket-pieces or hubs high enough to .clear the feathers. This is not likely to occur accidentally. When it has been effected intentionally by the workman, the weighted arms are free to be turned around the pins by him. They must be turned around in a horizontal arc of 1800 to bring the notches again in register with the feathers (in relatively reversed relationship) in order to lock the weighted arms in their reversed position in connection with the presser-roll supporting arms.y I V The means of driving the presser-roll may loe of any approved 'character of driving connections 0n the order of those Which heretofore have been employed for reversibly communicating rotary movement to a roll or other part carried in like manner by a movable support. Herein the presser-roll is furnished with a sprocket-gear 9 around which passes a sprocket-chain 10 that passes also around an actuating sprocket-gear 11, Fig. 3, upon a short shaft 12 mounted in the bearing 6d aforesaid. Fast with sprocket-gear 11 is a bevel-gear 13, Figs. 2 and 3, meshing at opposite sides of its center or axis with two bevel-gears 14, 15, sleeved loosely upon a driving-shaft 16 mounted in suitable bearings at the end of the machine that is shown in Fig. 2. The bevel-gears 14, 15, face each other. They constitute in connection with means for clutching the bevelgears 14, 15, alternately to the shaft 16 one well-known form of three-bevel-gear reversible driving mechanism. rlhe clutching means may be of any approved type and arrangement. The illustrated means comprises a clutch-gland 17, Figs. 2 and 3, splined upon the shaft 16 between the two loose bevel-gears 14, 15, and a shipper-fork 1S in engagement with such clutch-gland. The shipper-fork is partly broken away in both Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. In this instance, the clutch-gland 17 is formed as a double cone for frictional engagement with the respective bevel-gears 14, 15. By means of the shipper-fork the workman may shift the clutch-gland 17 into driving engagement with either bevel-gear 14, 15, tothereby drive the presser-roll in the required direction, or into an intermediate position in which it will be disengaged from both of the said bevel-gears and the presser-roll will not be driven. Vhen the weighted arms 7, 8, occupy the positions of the adjustment in which they are represented in the drawings, namely extending from the presser-roll supporting arms 6a, 6, toward the side at which batch-roller 3 is located so as to cause the presser roll to press upon the portion of fabric winding upon the winding or receiving roll 4b upon batchroller 3, the proper adjustment of the clutchgland 17 is such as to cause the presser-roll to be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows thereon in Figs. 1 and 2. When such is the case, by contact with the fabric the presser-roll draws the fabric from the tank or vat toward the winding roll upon batch-roller 3, and rotates such roll and roller to wind up the fabric. When the weighted arms 7, 8, are swung around into position extending toward the side at which the batch roller 2 is located, so as to cause the presser-roll to press upon the portion of fabric winding upon said batch-roller, the proper adjustment of the clutch-gland 17 is such as to cause the presser-roll to be rotated in the direction opposite to that indicated by the said arrows. To avoid eX- cessive pressure ofthe presser-roll upon the fabric in the different positions of the former, lessen the effort necessary to be expended in swinging it from one position to another, and obviate tendency to move too suddenly and forcibly in the direction indicated by the positions of the weighted arms 7, 8, the presser-roll supporting arms 6a, 6, are furnished below their pivotal points with counterbalancing weights 19, 19. In practice, these are larger than the ones shown in the drawings.

The parts thus far described are adapted to constitute a complete operative organization or machine capable of serving the contemplated purposes. The squeeze-rolls 20, 20, 21, preferably are employed as a means of securing greater uniformity in the action on the fabric, especially in dyeing. Such rolls serve to express the surplus liquid from the fabric as the latter proceeds from the surface of the liquid to the winding roll, the result of which is that dyeing is effected without tendency to a darkening of tone at the selvages. The illustrated arrangement of squeeze-rolls comprises the two rolls 20, 20, which are journaled in bearings in carrying arms 22, 22, at such distance apart that the space between such rolls slightly exceeds lthe diameter of the third roll, 21, which is located between the rolls 20, 20. Roll 21 is journaled in a suitable movable carrier, which in this particular embodiment of the invention is constituted of two supporting arms 23, 23. These arms are hung as shown best in Fig. 3, upon the inner projecting ends of the stud 6C and the shaft 12, with capacity to swing so as to permit roll 21 to press against either of the rolls 20, 20, as desired. The shift of the carrying arms 23, 23, may be variously effected. but herein the same is effected by means of cams 24, 24, working in slots in the said arms, the said cams being mounted upon a shaft 25 that is mounted in bearings on the fixed machine-frame. A handle 26, Figs. 1 and 3, upon the said shaft provides for enabling it to be operated by hand. The said cams have concentric `portions which engage with the slot-walls of the arms to hold the latter locked in each of the opposite working positions of said arms and the roll 21. By means of the handle 2G the shaft and cams are rocked to press the roll 21 against the right-hand roll 2O in Fig. 1 during the travel of the fabric toward the winding roll 4b on batch-roller 3. When the winding is to be effected upon the batchroller 2 the handle is swung over from its The roll 21 is rotated by driving connec- A tions comprising a sprocket-gear 3l fixed onffthe shaft of the said roll, sprocket-chain 32 passing around the said sprocket-gear, and a sprocket-gear 33 fixed upon the short shaft l2. Consequently when the shaft l2 is rotated the'squeeZe-roll Q1 is rotated also, and the direction of rotation of the said roll is reversed at the saine time that the direction of the rotation of the presser roll isl reversed, and by the same means. As will be apparent, the roll 2l and the roll 20 with which for the time being it coacts in expressing liquid from the fabric serve also as feed-rolls. By the manner in which the liquid remaining in the fabric When it reaches the presser-roll is forced out of the fabric by the presser-roll and its action upon the fabric, greater uniformity and better results in the dyeing and other treatment are attained.

It is Within the scope of my broad invention to employ in conjunction with a combined driving and presser-roll arrangement embodying the principles of my said invention lany approved means or devices for reversibly communicating rotary movement to the combined driving and presser-roll.

I claim as my invention,"

l. In a jigger or the like machine for treating open fabrics, the combination with the tank or vat, and the batch-rollers from one to the other of which the fabric passes and repasses in opposite directions alternately through the tank or vat, of a combined drivin@P and Dresser-roll mounted reversibly to enable it to act upon the fabric at the side at which the latter leaves the tank or vat, in either direction of travel of the fabric, and means for reversibly driving the said roll.

2. Inl a jigger or the like machine for treating open fabrics, the combination with the tank or vat and the batch-rollers from one to the other of which the fabric passes and repasses in opposite directions alternately through the tank or vat, of a combined driving and presser-roll adapted to be shifted from Working relations With one batch-roller to working relations With the other to cause it to act upon the fabric Windingupon the receiving batch-roller in either direction of travel of the fabric, and reversible driving connections for the said roll.

`3. In a jigger or the like machine for treating open fabrics, the combination with the tank or vat and the opposite batchrollers, of' a combined driving and presserroll, and a swinging support for said roll adapted to permit the latter to be shifted to act upon the fabric at the side at which the latter leaves the tank or vat, in either direction of travel of the fabric, and means for reversibly driving the said roll.

4. In a jigger or the like machine. for treating open fabrics, the combination With leases i In a jigger or the like machine for 'treating open fabrics, the combination with the tank or vat, the opposite batch-rolls, from one to the other of Which the fabric is wound alternately, passing and repassing through the tank or vat, a combined driving and presser-roll mounted reversibly to enable it to act upon the fabric at the side at which the latter' leaves the tank or vat, in'

either direction Aof travel of the fabric, and means for reversibly driving the said roll, of rolls between the liquid contents of the tank or vvat and the said combined driving and presser-roll comprising an intermediate roll and other rolls at opposite sides thereof, and means for shifting said rollsto cause said intermediate roll to coact With the rolls at opposite sides ofit alternately so as to subject to pressure the portion of fabric leaving the tank or vat in either direction of travel of the fabric. Y

6. In a jigger or the like machine for treating open fabrics, the combination with the tank or vat, the opposite batch-rolls from one to the other ofwhich the fabric is Wound in opposite directions alternately, a combined driving and presser-roll mounticc ed reversibly to enable it to act upon the fabric at the side at which the latter leaves the tank or vat, in either direction of travel of the fabric, and means for reversibly driving the said roll, of rolls between the liquid contents of the tank or vat 4and the said combined driving and presser-roll comprising an intermediate roll and other rolls at opposite sides thereof, a movable carrier for the intermediate roll, and means for shifting the carrier to cause the intermediate roll to coact with the rolls at opposite sides" thereof alternately so as to subject to pressure the portion of fabric leaving the tank or vat in either direction of travel of the fabric.

7. In a jigger or the like machine for treating open fabrics, the combination with the tank or vat, and the opposite batchrollers from one to the other of which the fabric passes and repasses in opposite directions alternately through the tank or vat, of

a presser-roll adapted to be shifted from Working relations with one batch-roller to Working relations With the other to cause it to act upon the fabric Winding upon the receiving batch-roller in either direction of travel ofthe fabric, and squeeze-rolls actingl upon the fabric after leaving the liquid contents of the tank or vat and on its Way to the receiving batch-roller and presser-roll.

8. ln a jigger or the like machine for treating open fabrics, the combination With the tank or vat, and the batch-rollers from one to the other of which the fabric passes and repasses in opposite directions alternately through the tank or vat, of a presserroll adapted to be shifted from Working relations with one batch-roller to Working relations with the other to cause it to act upon the fabric Winding upon the receiving batchroller in either direction of travel of the fabric, reversible driving connections for the presser-roll, a set of squeeze-rolls between the batch-rollers and the liquid contents of the tank or vat, through Which set the fabric passes in entering and leaving the tank or vat, and means to close such rolls together :z3

upon the portion of fabric which is leaving, in either direction of travel alternately, and open them relative to the entering portion of fabric.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

